http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9nCnlqIWuE

James Fleming was an Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War, and received the Medal of Honor for rescuing six of his fellow soldiers when they were stranded amongst enemy soldiers. In this video, Fleming recalls November 26, 1968, the day that earned him his Medal of Honor, saying: “These guys down there have seen one helicopter crash, one of them leave trailing smoke, other helicopter’s leaving. I’m the only one here. Get me low, way out. Throw me in there. I bet ya I can sneak in there and get them.”

Fleming was presented the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon at the White House on May 14, 1970.

The post Vietnam War
James Fleming Recounts Heroic Patrol appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rswHbCZmT0c

Captain Ed “RIV” Hrivnak of the U.S. Air Force Reserve describes his experience of Operation Iraqi Freedom: “What my crew saw was a very up-close, personal human experience.” Hrivnak and his team took care of wounded soldiers on their plane–culminating in his unit evacuating 7,000 people within five months. U.S. President George W. Bush authorized Operation Iraqi Freedom to rid Iraq of the dictator Saddam Hussein and his alleged weapons of mass destruction on March 19, 2003. After Hrivnak’s time in Iraq, he believes, “War is not this glorious thing.” When he returned from his service, he published a book on what he had seen in Iraq, titled “Wounded: A Legacy of Operation Iraqi Freedom” in order to inform the public on the Iraq War: “It seems like America…has forgotten that there was a war going on.” Hrivnak’s book was published on May 21, 2013.

The post Iraq War
Veteran on Assisting the Wounded During Operation Iraqi Freedom appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ-dQook-DA

Aiko Kori describes surviving the atomic bomb attack on the Japanese city of Nagasaki during World War II. Only 17 years old at the time, Kori recalls being mistaken for a corpse, narrowly escaping cremation, and picking maggots out of her wounds–among other horrors. The bomb dropped on Nagasaki by the United states on August 9, 1945; the second atomic bomb dropped in history and the last to date.

The post Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Aiko Kori Shares Her Survival Story appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCYPrur6ssU

On July 25, 1943, British and U.S. air forces bombed the city of Hamburg, Germany, killing 42,600 civilians–named Operation Gomorrah during World War II. In this video, footage of that chaotic and tragic night is shown. The memoirs of a housewife named Matilda are read over the visions of the city in flames. Matilda recalls what it was like on the night that the firestorms occurred, describing people walking around as “living, walking torches” as their bodies were engulfed by flames. She also comments on the massive black clouds that filled the city the next morning, stating that the day looked like night because of all the smoke.

The post Operation Gomorrah
A Housewife’s Account of Gomorrah appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWmFJvX8zAk

Survivors of Operation Gomorrah–which began on July 24, 1943 for eight days and seven nights in the city of Hamburg, Germany–recall how it has affected their lives and their families’ lives. Operation Gomorrah was when British and U.S. air forces carpet bombed the city in order to demoralize German civilians and cripple Nazi power. In this video, two survivors, as well as one grandson of a survivor, talk about the city of Hamburg they once knew and the city that Hamburg has now become. One survivor, Helga, was 18 when the bombs dropped and she remembers the last words her mother said to her before she was killed. The grandson to a survivor recalls the tragic stories his grandmother would tell during Christmas and Easter to their family about the bombings. Along with this, we are taken through the various streets that were bombed, as well as the St. Nicholas tower, a landmark memorial that still stands today and was a prominent target for the Allied Powers during the bombings.

The post Operation Gomorrah
Hamburg Before and After the Bombing appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAfZ8JRg32k

Veteran Charles McGee discusses why he decided to enter the military during World War II. McGee signed up to become part of the first African American aviation group for the war known as the Tuskegee Airmen. He recalls the preparation to become a fighter pilot and what his first missions were like.

The post Tuskegee Airmen
Charles McGee as a Tuskegee Airmen appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tqEZZVs14Q

Alex Bennet remembers entering the service and joining the 457th Bombardment Group. He recalls his experience in World War II, and also his experiences after the war. Next, Harry Campbell talks about joining the 457th Squadron, and discusses some of his interesting missions. The 457th Bombardment Group was activated on July 1, 1943 and inactivated on August 23, 1945 at the conclusion of the Second World War.

The post World War II
Men of the 457th Bombardment Group appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z5bYiMpH88

World War II veteran Jerry Silverman remembers his acceptance and training as an Aviation Cadet. Silverman ultimately became a navigator in 1943 and joined the 457th Bombardment Group. The 457th Bombardment group was activated on July 1, 1943, and was inactivated on August 18, 1945 at the conclusion of the Second World War.

The post World War II
WWII Navigator Jerry Silverman appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yKuuRc4Kxg

Veteran Bob Schaaf discusses his experience in the 457th Bombardment Group during World War II, and also shows a flag that has been in World War I, World War II, and Vietnam. His daughter also reads a poem Mr. Schaaf wrote during the war after 7 or 8 missions. The 457th Bombardment Group was activated on July 1, 1943, and inactivated on August 18, 1945 at the conclusion of the Second World War.

The post World War II
Bob Schaaf and His Daughter on World War II appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7lmYsuf96A

Will Fluman remembers his transfer from the army to the Aviation Cadet Program, and his installation in the 457th Bombardment Group in the fall of 1944. The 457th Bombardment Group was activated on July 1, 1943 and was inactivated on August 18, 1945, at the end of the Second World War.

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Will Fluman of the 457th Bombardment Group appeared first on Witnify.